Rises
by rkd
Summary: For those who like the original DKR film: this story may not be for you, as it overhauls the theme and plot of DKR to be more plausible and realistic (no nuclear bomb etc) with many significantly changes.


Dark Knight Rises

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It is expected that the reader has seen DKR for a full understanding of this FF; some parts of this FF were unchanged from DKR and so were omitted. Note that each paragraph is a scene and if a paragraph/scene from DKR is missing, that is because it has been completely removed from the plot. Reviews and suggestions are welcome.

I believed that DKR had insane potential that was only touched upon in the final film. Instead DKR reverted back to BB's nonsense and cartoony-ness; that's what prevented it from being as highly rated as TDK. TDK: Joker was "the agent of chaos" was and believed that order and morality were both subjective and "unfair". DKR: Bane didn't really represent anything or really have a clear goal. So Bane has now been altered to be a morally ambiguous freedom fighter. For those who like the original DKR film: this story may not be for you, as it overhauls the theme and plot of DKR to be more plausible and realistic with many significantly changes.

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The CIA's Special Activities Division has confiscated a sizable amount of a highly contagious and polymorphic strain of Anthrax. 3 of Bane's associates, who attempted to buy the briefcase from a local terrorist organization, are delivered to the SAD team by Bane's undercover militia, including Barsad.

Bane breaks out of the cuffs and crushes the CIA agent's face and then proceeds to brutally beat everyone on the plane before then can even get a shot off. The 4 Black Ops rappel onto the plane and gun down the remaining SAD. The attach cables to the container of anthrax and lift it into their cargo plane.

(Wayne has been living as a wealthy and affluent socialite for eight years, without returning to his alter-ego, Batman.) Wayne is hosting the Harvey Dent Remembrance ceremony in his penthouse. (Under powers granted by the Dent Act, legislation inspired by the perceived heroism of the late Harvey Dent, Commissioner James Gordon and the Gotham City Police Department have nearly eradicated violent and organized crime, but has become a police state) The mayor, Anthony Garcia, and Gordon give their speeches. Gordon feels guilty about the cover-up of Harvey Dent's crimes, but decides that the city is not ready to hear the truth. During the party, Deputy Commissioner Peter Foley, casually asks Wayne about where he thinks Batman is, as well as commenting that he should replace Gordon. Selina Kyle is undercover as a waitress and sneaks into Wayne's private quarters. Wayne casually excuses himself from the event and sneaks up to Selina as she is getting his fingerprints. She uses acrobatics and flips through an open window and rappels down the Wayne Tower to meet with Daggett about her success.

Wayne is investigating Selina on his underground bunker-room's computer. There Alfred tries to dissuade Wayne from return to Batman etc.

Selina meets with Daggett and the deal goes bad. SWAT purse henchmen. Barsad snipes 2 SWAT. Patrol officer, John Blake, is first seen. Gordon and SWAT follow into sewers, with Foley staying on the surface. A bomb explodes and deceives the law enforcement on the surface into thinking that there has been a gas leak. Gordon and SWAT manage to kill several henchmen but are slowly pushed to a large sewer basin. Gordon is shot, loses his speech and falls into the basin. A surviving SWAT officer follows him into the basin. Bane walks over to inspect the dead basin and finds Gordon's speech. Bane decides that it is time for Pamela Isley, a psychotic Eco-terrorist to act as the police are beginning to uncover their presence. Blake finds the SWAT and Gordon at a sewer gate. He is then promoted to detective by Gordon while in the hospital, with Blake to report directly to him.

Wayne arrives at the hospital via Lamborghini. He walks in casually, unnoticed inside and rappels down the window, wearing a mask, to meet Gordon as a civilian Batman. Gordon tells Batman that he needs to return.

Pamela acquires the Anthrax from Bane and prepares it into a bomb. During a charity ball attended by Gotham's wealthy including Selina, the power goes out and Pamela can be heard on a megaphone stating that she will kill everyone there with an anthrax bomb, which she calls "a bit of nature's wrath". Everyone is then held hostage. Pamela does not want to detonate the bomb yet until law enforcement arrives, to rack up a larger kill count. Selina manages to hinder the henchmen enough that SWAT eliminate the hostiles and secure the area.

Wayne and Alfred watch the news report on the averted terrorist attack in the underground bunker-room's computer. Alfred tells Wayne about Bane; that he was born in "hell on earth"; a prison pit where the poor, disfavored and criminally violent are thrown into and forgotten. But one day the pit spat something out. _Bane was born in the pit and had to fend for himself against vicious inmates, while learning that many in there were only prisoners-of-conscience and the poor who couldn't pay their debts. After many years Bane, became an extremely strong young adult. One day, while protecting the victimized inmates, Bane's enemies all gather and begin fighting him and themselves. During the fight an inmate sneaks behind Bane and strikes him from behind, causing Bane a crippling injury. Bane attempts to leave the pit and climb out against all odds; pursuing hostile inmates attempt to climb after Bane but fall to their deaths._ (The chanting is heard as he climbs.)

Pamela infiltrates Gotham's stock exchange. Bane arrives and beats up the guards obstructing him. Her henchmen go into action, shooting at the stock exchange. Pamela then tells everyone not to move or she will detonate the anthrax bomb that she is carrying. Bane arrives on the scene and begins to steal the money from the stock exchange (Bane gets money and Daggett gets Wayne Enterprises). Pamela arms her bomb and sets the timer. The SWAT begins to gather outside. The hostages are then slowly released outside. Bane and his men flee with hostages via motorcycles. Pamela stays behind and announcers that they (the wealthy) will pay for their crimes of overconsumption and overindulgence. She slips away unnoticed and kills some witnesses (of her exit path) and shoots some cameras with her suppressed pistol. The bomb goes off killing all the hostages and law enforcement.

While Bane and his men are trying to escape, Batman pursues them and manages to dispatch all the henchmen and quickly take the stock exchange hacking device. Foley is going after Wayne and tells all the available surviving police to focus on apprehending batman and ignore Bane. Batman manages to evade the police on his Bat-pod.

Selina breaks into Daggett's residence and confronts him about the "clean-slate". When Daggett's men arrive, she then leaves taking Daggett hostage. Selina is surrounded by Bane's men. Half of them are silently dispatched by Batman, and then Selina handles the other half and they ride off on the Bat-pod. Wayne talks to Selina about what she did with Wayne's fingerprints.

Wayne arrives at the underground bunker-room. Alfred tells Wayne about the anthrax bomb that went off in the stock exchange and shows him security footage of Bane beating the guards and Pamela holding the bomb. Wayne hands Alfred the stock exchange device and tells him to have Fox look at it. Wayne begins to investigate Pamela, believing that she may be the mastermind.

Garcia, with a clear the memory of the Joker crisis, declares a full city lock-down on TV; Martial law, with curfew and police constantly patrol and search the city, random checks and indefinite detention without warrants. There are angry protests on the street in protest of this new law.

Wayne meets with Fox, who informs him that R&D is working on an anthrax neutralizing agent. Wayne arrives in the boardroom only to be notified that he has been removed by Daggett. He retreats to his underground bunker-room with Alfred and deduces that Pamela is underground in the sewers. He enlists Selina's help in finding Pamela. Selina leads Wayne into the chamber where Pamela supposedly is, but instead of Pamela there is Bane. Bane tells Wayne that Pamela is no longer relevant. Wayne loses to Bane in the fight (Wayne did not use gadgets or environmental hazards). Bane explains to Wayne that the less fortunate of this country have been oppressed for too long and that Gotham was the ideal powder keg to ignite his unstoppable revolution. Bane has his men dispose of Wayne. Selina feels remorse and helps Batman escape his fate and drives him, on the Bat-pod, to an abandoned construction yard.

Selina prepares to flee Gotham but is stopped and questioned by Blake. She is then jailed.

Bane interrupts a football game, while his men hold the police, who were supervising the spectators, at gun point. Bane notifies the people that they will no longer be oppressed by the wealthy, the powerful or the government and reveals the truth about Harvey Dent. His message is seen on TV.

Bane's henchmen free the prisoners of Blackgate Prison and arm them. The prisoners then engage law enforcement and divert their attention from the violent riots forming across Gotham. (Comprised of the poor, some ex-cons and 50% of the middle-class) The wealthy and powerful citizens are taken from their homes, their belongings confiscated and themselves, beaten and tormented.

Bane, escorted by his Black Ops, walks into government and financial buildings. During which, Bane brutally kills Mayor Garcia as well as Daggett, the new CEO of Wayne Enterprises (Phillip manages to evade detection), and Foley the acting police commissioner, along with other influential people one by one.

While Wayne is recuperating, Fox notifies him that he has subsequently regained control over Wayne Enterprises.

Two of Bane's henchmen attempt to kill Gordon. John arrives just in time to hear Gordon shoot the two thugs. Gordon and Blake leave to hospital to figure out how to contain the uprising.

Bane tells the people to only target the ones who have been hoarding all the power and wealth, and not their "brothers" (fellow poor or revolutionaries). He prevents rebels from looting or attacking their "brothers". The city is soon in a full-scale war as the National Guard is called in and law enforcement numbers begin to dwindle. Government, financial and retail buildings are looted and destroyed. Nation-wide protests and revolts begin.

Wayne arrives as Batman in the Tumbler, and rescues law enforcement from the ex-cons. He meets with Gordon and Blake and discusses where Bane could be. Gordon tells both of them of his experience in the sewers. Wayne drives the Tumbler off to combat the armed prisoners.

Meanwhile, as the government begins to use increasingly lethal force, more flock to the revolution in response. National Guard vehicles are ambushed and captured by the revolutionaries. Most of Gotham is now essentially under the revolutionaries' control with barricades physically dividing Gotham and national-wide revolts diverting military resources.

_Aerial overview of the city in total war, with military vehicles and armed personnel on both sides being destroyed in battle. Extensive collateral damage to the surrounding buildings, with the roads heavily cratered. National Guard helicopters are shot down with heavy ordinance used by rebels._

The military attempt a frontal assault on city hall, where they believe Bane is, but it is actually only Barsad's command center. All-out-war takes place, with rebel reinforcements and military vehicles pouring in from all directions and firing from buildings. The military wins a Pyrrhic victory with and thousands dead and city blocks in ruins. Barsad escapes.

US Special Forces Captain, Jones, with his squad meet at night secretly with Gordon, Blake and the remaining law enforcement, on the rebel side of Gotham. They form a plan on how to locate rebel strongholds and Bane. As the squad leaves the meeting room, they are intercepted by Bane and his Black Operations soldiers and quickly gunned down. Jones and a few of his men are still alive but severely injured. Bane orders them all to be hung. Gordon, Blake and the remaining law enforcement manage to remain undetected and leave to inform the military of Bane's underground hideout.

The rich and powerful are forcibly brought before a show trial presided over by Scarecrow and given the choice between death and exile. Scarecrow wears his mask and uses fear gas on the convicted people on his court. _The observers of the court are seen through the victims' eyes and appear frightening and inhuman. _ Phillip, Daggett's right-hand-man chooses exile. He dies from falling through the ice after panicking from fear gas and running.

The military begins to lose at the conventional urban warfare so they resort to artillery and air strikes on supposed rebel strongholds, which result in the deaths of many people and destroy much of the city.

Gordon, Blake and law enforcement are arrested by Barsad and his men while leaving from the military outpost. The outpost is then captured and its occupants killed. They are brought in front of Scarecrow. They are sentenced death by exile. The military breaches Scarecrow's courthouse with brute force. Scarecrow hides under his desk. In the confusion, Scarecrow sprays and frightens the soldiers and is about to shoot them but is cut short by Batman.

Using the intelligence provided to them, the military decides to enter the sewers and destroy Bane's underground hideout. Bane is shown refilling his mask with a sublimating painkiller while Barsad and his men take positions. There is a fierce firefight. Amidst the gunfire, Bane enters the combat zone and kills multiple soldiers using hand-to-hand. Although the intruders are defeated, much of the location has been compromised so Bane, his Black Ops, as well as Barsad and his men fall back deeper into the sewers.

Pamela reveals herself again and appears on TV. She announces that she wanted to kill off more than just the wealthy and the government but also every human, who she believes are a disease destroying the Earth. She says that she has planted various anthrax bombs in parts of the city and that she will detonate them when the conflict is over.

Selina helps a boy escape from 2 thugs and met by Wayne as Batman. Wayne offers the "clean slate" to Selina in exchange for her help in neutralizing the bombs. Selina rides the bat-pod and arrives at Wayne Tower which is in lockdown mode. She infiltrates the building and knocks out thugs who have managed to get in the building. Selina finds Fox, who then gives her the agent. She then leaves to search the city and disarm the anthrax bombs.

The military send a second wave into the sewers. There is another big shootout. Using them as a distraction, Wayne infiltrates Bane's sewer complex, take a significant number of the guards out of commission in a swift maneuver and disables the lights. Barsad manages to snipe several soldiers before being killed by a grenade thrown by a soldier (which he couldn't see as the lights had just gone out).

Batman finds Bane walking in his underground lair escorted by a team of Black Ops. Bane tells them to help Barsad while he'll handle Batman. Batman uses gadgets (explosive grenades, EMP device, ejecting arm blades) and the environment to defeat Bane. He finally kicks Bane out of a sewer outlet pipe and onto a departing cargo ship, where he sits up and looks at Batman in defeat. Wayne notifies Gordon of the location Pamela's hideout. Gordon wanting to take charge outside with his remaining officers, sends Blake off with this task.

Blake sneaks into Pamela's hideout (which is actually a fully-functional lab in an abandoned part of Gotham) with 2 other officers. The escorts are killed by Pamela (suppressed pistol). Blake finds Pamela and chases her through the warehouse. She shuts off the lights and topples large shelves to slow Blake. She dons a hazmat suit and enters the packing room. Blake puts on his own hazmat suit. They fight; Blake runs out of bullets; Pamela tries a desperate last ditch attempt and throws flasks of anthrax at Blake. He ducks them but the room is now contaminated. Pamela slips on a fallen item and her hazmat suit is torn from broken glass. She accidentally dies from her own Anthrax.

After the conflict, much of the country and Gotham is in disarray with many thousands dead. Wayne becomes disillusioned; he observes the extend of the death that has occurred and wonders if he was on the right side – the "bad guys" were mainly poor citizens who had nothing left to give to the uncaring government and society. Wayne is presumed dead from the riots. He relinquishes the remains of Wayne Enterprises and property of Fox and Alfred respectively. Blake finds a mysterious note which entitles him to all of Wayne's Batman equipment as well as the underground bunker-room. Alfred witnesses Bruce and Selina together at the café in Florence.

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Notes/Misc

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No Bat-cave, Wayne Manor

No bomb, reactor, Dr. Pavel or Talia/Miranda

No enemy Tumblers

John and Bane do not know that Wayne is Batman

Police are not trapped in the sewers

Alfred is not dismissed

Wayne does not get left at Bane's prison

John's name does not include "Robin"

No structures are blown up by Bane

Bane has no relation to the League of Shadows and does not want to destroy Gotham

Bane expects Isley to fail and wants to use the panic and disorder from her bomb threats as cover (authorities will be focusing their efforts on capturing her) and to persuade the people to his side.


End file.
